Lee Culpepper
At this time last year, many illegal aliens across America were rallying (like this year) in organized amnesty marches. Meanwhile, my Texas students and I were finishing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. News headlines swirled about the amnesty marches, and my students’ curiosity swirled about the marches, too. During one of my academically stronger classes, several students (Hispanic students) asked me what I thought about these demonstrations. Considering their question related, somewhat, to the American Dream (a topic we were discussing from the novel) I decided to entertain their question.
I answered their inquisitiveness lightheartedly by asking students what they would think if one day my wife and I were to show up at their homes demanding — not asking — that they allow us to move in because their homes were more comfortable than our own. They all laughed as they had grown accustom to my political incorrectness after completing nearly a year in my English class. Anyway, I explained that on an emotional level I empathized with someone wanting to come to America, but I stated that illegal immigration is a complex problem that requires objective, not subjective, solutions. I then asked the students what they thought would happen to me if I were to break the law in another country and then were to demand the country change its laws. They all laughed again at my playful sarcasm.
Since my students were used to my preaching the value of their educations, I addressed the illegal immigration question by relating it to school. I had a good rapport with all my students, so I felt comfortable discussing this sensitive issue. In fact, a surprising number of students had even confided in me earlier that either they or their parents were not in the U.S. legally. Knowing of these situations, I was thoughtful in answering. After harping on irresponsibility in the past, I decided to ask my students what they now thought of peers who wasted taxpayers’ money by blowing off their responsibilities to study. I also asked them what their own parents and other taxpayers would think if they witnessed the number of kids not trying to learn and disrupting classes. I pressed the kids to think about the plentiful number of students around school who fit this description. I then asked them what they thought about the money wasted in those situations. Nearly all of the students agreed that wasting tax money is a serious problem.
Next I addressed, more delicately, illegal immigration. I stated that because I knew several students who described themselves uncomfortably as “illegals,” I tended to be more subjective in their individual situations because I was personally involved in their lives. But I also shared that I had some students who I knew were “illegal” who fit the description of the apathetic or disruptive students. I asserted that when any student disrupts class by not paying attention or behaving unruly, those actions negatively affect other students. When a teacher devotes time to dealing with problems, instruction time gets lost. I added that when an undisciplined or apathetic student is here illegally, he or she only compounds an already existing problem of wasted tax money. The addition of more undisciplined students also compounds the negative effect on dutiful students trying to learn.
Today about $7.4 billion dollars a year is spent educating “illegal” students in grades K-12 (source: Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform). Approximately 1.1 million students in American classrooms are “illegal” (source: Center of Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.) Frankly, I believe it absurd to expect American taxpayers to foot this bill.
However, I found myself torn between feeling soft in some situations and calloused in others. On one hand I had “illegal” students like “Joel” who took my lessons about self-discipline, responsibility, and hard work to heart. Joel went from being an unengaged student to one who valued his education. His renewed effort in class impressed me; I was proud of him. Joel’s father was a cook at a local restaurant, and a man just trying to give his family a better life. When I witnessed Joel mature and appreciate his opportunity to learn, I couldn’t help but want to see Joel succeed right here in America. On the other hand, I also had illegal students like “Ector” and “Jesus.” I empathized with these boys because their fathers were not involved in their lives. I know these boys are destined to a depressing future. Nevertheless, their bad attitudes wore on me. Unlike Joel’s situation, I failed to motivate Ector and Jesus to apply themselves. These two boys presented a lot less problems for me than they presented for other teachers, but they were still problem students. Their undisciplined behavior in class frequently robbed their peers of instruction time. They refused to help themselves and consequently negatively affected their peers.
Coincidentally, we had just discussed in Gatsby how both illegal and immoral behavior hurts innocent people. It’s a lesson Ector and Jesus selfishly couldn’t have cared less about learning. But it’s a lesson Joel will use to better his life. Joel’s hard work set a good example for other students to emulate — regardless of nationality.
The American Dream offers hope to many, but as we should learn from Gatsby, the dream becomes tainted when individuals pursue it illegally and immorally. I suppose it’s human nature to empathize with fictional characters like Gatsby, but more so with real people like Joel. However, objectivity should manage our decisions, and illegal activity should not be condoned. $7.4 billion dollars is only one part of illegal immigration’s heist.
(Note: Students’ names have been changed to protect their privacy.)
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Lee Culpepper is currently writing his first book, Alone and Unafraid: One Marine’s Counterattack Inside the Walls of Public Education. Additionally, he is a contributing columnist for The Publius’ Forum, The North Carolina Conservative, and The Hinzsight Report.
A 1991 graduate of Virginia Tech, Culpepper majored in both English and Communication. He was also a varsity wrestler. He attended the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia, and received his commission in 1993. He served four years on active duty before settling in southern California to begin his teaching career. He taught high school English in both California and Texas. He recently moved to eastern North Carolina with his wife, Heather, and their bulldog, Shrek.
Lee can be reached at drcoolpepper@yahoo.com.
Visit Lee’s blog at http://wlculpepper.townhall.com/